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bookworm151719's review
2.0
The first two stories I enjoyed. The rest were meh, to the point I was skipping to the end to see if they were worth me reading all of them. They weren't it for me.
smepsmorp's review
2.0
I really liked the concept of this book and learning about Cherokee folktales but sadly, for me, it missed the mark.
It took me about 100+ pages to get into it and I found the connection between the first few stories confusing.
I did however like some of the stories after that once I stopped trying to figure out how they were connected.
I think a lot of people will like this book because of the way it is structured but like I said, maybe not really for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
Merged review:
I really liked the concept of this book and learning about Cherokee folktales but sadly, for me, it missed the mark.
It took me about 100+ pages to get into it and I found the connection between the first few stories confusing.
I did however like some of the stories after that once I stopped trying to figure out how they were connected.
I think a lot of people will like this book because of the way it is structured but like I said, maybe not really for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
It took me about 100+ pages to get into it and I found the connection between the first few stories confusing.
I did however like some of the stories after that once I stopped trying to figure out how they were connected.
I think a lot of people will like this book because of the way it is structured but like I said, maybe not really for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
Merged review:
I really liked the concept of this book and learning about Cherokee folktales but sadly, for me, it missed the mark.
It took me about 100+ pages to get into it and I found the connection between the first few stories confusing.
I did however like some of the stories after that once I stopped trying to figure out how they were connected.
I think a lot of people will like this book because of the way it is structured but like I said, maybe not really for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
scarletranger's review
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Man Made Monsters" bleeds Cherokee. Every classic story has a unique take rotted in heritage, and the illustrations are absolutely beautiful. Fans of classic monsters and anyone wanting to learn more about Cherokee heritage - this book is for you.
bookishmillennial's review
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
What was most impressive to me was the consistency & execution of the Wilson family tree — WOW! The way that each of the chapters fit so perfectly into the generation & time that it represented was incredible.
Irrelevant but funny side note: I once had to create an American family saga & provide short stories on different generations of them for an English course & had a absolute meltdown because it was so difficult lmao. Again, MASSIVE PROPS TO ANDREA BECAUSE THIS IS NO EASY FEAT!
Man Made Monsters has such unique storytelling, with different media such as letters, newspapers & short stories but they were all equally as captivating as the others. I was rooting for the Wilson women & felt Andrea did such a wonderful job of creating distinct voices for each of them. This book was fascinating & provided searing commentary on who the real monsters are.
At the end of the day, I’m a horror/scifi/surrealism girly so I ate this book up😍
I especially appreciated the Cherokee glossary at the end (resources ftw!) & the illustrations by Jeff Edwards were haunting but beautiful.
What was most impressive to me was the consistency & execution of the Wilson family tree — WOW! The way that each of the chapters fit so perfectly into the generation & time that it represented was incredible.
Irrelevant but funny side note: I once had to create an American family saga & provide short stories on different generations of them for an English course & had a absolute meltdown because it was so difficult lmao. Again, MASSIVE PROPS TO ANDREA BECAUSE THIS IS NO EASY FEAT!
Man Made Monsters has such unique storytelling, with different media such as letters, newspapers & short stories but they were all equally as captivating as the others. I was rooting for the Wilson women & felt Andrea did such a wonderful job of creating distinct voices for each of them. This book was fascinating & provided searing commentary on who the real monsters are.
At the end of the day, I’m a horror/scifi/surrealism girly so I ate this book up😍
I especially appreciated the Cherokee glossary at the end (resources ftw!) & the illustrations by Jeff Edwards were haunting but beautiful.
delery's review
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
i really really wanted to like this book, but I think it just wasn't for me in many ways. i went in expecting horror from a teen book and it just didn't fit the bill for me. the premise is super interesting and I loved getting to see bits of Cherokee culture throughout the stories, but most of this felt disjointed and flat. especially when I got to the goat man story. after that point, I just didn't know what to expect. seriously what was that. liked the family tree. love a glossary. i think if it had focused on one direct line or a more consistent theme I might have liked it more. Also it felt very much like it was written post covid and not in a good way. The references will definitely date it. just not for me.
muppetymelody's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
a_petro's review
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
shavawnellsbury's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
wdianasheppard's review
4.0
"Man Made Monsters" is a wonderful collection of horror stories both familiar to me and completely new; I requested this ARC due to Stephen Graham Jones's praise and I wasn't sorry I had. As is the nature of many short story collections, some I preferred more than others, but the ones that hit hard will stay with me for a long while. I was particularly pleased to see The Deer Woman here (learned about that one from Jones's The Only Good Indians) as well as zombies! I really enjoyed how characters from one story might be referenced in another. Because this is a YA collection, nothing really scared me, but there were several unsettling moments for sure! My only complaint is that a few of the stories felt a little short. That's probably a compliment to Andrea Rogers, because I could have spent more time enjoying her tales.
Also, I read this on the Kindle, so my formatting was funky, but what I could see of the art was absolutely lovely.
Also, I read this on the Kindle, so my formatting was funky, but what I could see of the art was absolutely lovely.
ashrosereads's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Disclaimer: I listened to the audiobook and I wasn’t a fan of the narrators and I think that impacted my overall experience with this book. I’m also not a huge fan of short stories.
Some of the stories were intriguing and some I just was not interested in. I really enjoyed the aspects of Indian culture that were in the stories. Overall, it was worth the read. I enjoyed more stories than I did not enjoy. I think I’d enjoy this more if I read the physical book.
Some of the stories were intriguing and some I just was not interested in. I really enjoyed the aspects of Indian culture that were in the stories. Overall, it was worth the read. I enjoyed more stories than I did not enjoy. I think I’d enjoy this more if I read the physical book.